The Midnight Games
by SpookersInTheWoods
Summary: In a world of dreams there is a council. In this council of many, they choose one soul each to act as their pawn in a game they like to call 'The Midnight Games'. Erhard is just one of the many chosen to battle for these elusive, godlike persons' amusement. He will fight. He will break. He will die. He will live. And he will have to face parts of the past he once tried to bury.


_"I wish I could have seen the lights... Y'know, before they all disappeared."_

 _"Mmhm."_

Two dreamer servants stood by the edge of the great orb filled abyss; one staring up into the gap at the roof of the cavern, the other standing across from her and focusing on the list given to him by their masters. Small bits of starlight filtered into the near pitch black room, the light from their lantern casting whispery shadows onto the lifeless spheres resting almost peacefully inside of the overbrimming chasm. The girl took her attention off from the stars and placed them onto the boy besides her.

"Onyx, are you even listening to me...?"  
"Mmhm..."

Her name was Kamala. Young, and too fearsome for a servant as herself. She spoke too much. Spoke in the light and when it wasn't her place to talk. She was born lucky. Lucky that she hadn't been terminated for her misconduct.

She stared at Onyx for a moment, the pale and silent ghost he was. He was young as well, a year older than her in fact, and as fearsome as a pebble. He was a gentle servant, soft spoken, and used to living in the lap of luxury considering he was a slave to the council. His master was gracious towards him, from what she could see at least, spoiling him rotten. Now he was a feathery brat, yet a brat that followed the rules without question.

"Christ, you're no fun to be around." She mumbled to him, returning back to stargazing. _Talking to the cavern walls would be more fun than talking to someone like you_. "In anycase, Rose told me about the skylights that they used to have... Apparently they were really pretty and-"

"Mmhm..." Onyx read over the information granted to him by their masters, exhaling softly. "Kamala, once the moon reaches the middle of the pool, we must act fast."

"Or what?"

"Or," He started, glaring over at her from where he was. "We'll lose our chance to fish out the next enterers of this year's games."

"Okay, okay."

"If that happens, we'll surely be terminated..." He hissed under his breath, going back to reading the instructions. "Now... All we have to do is recite the names of the chosen and take their dream orbs to the stream of the chosen."

"Simple." Kamala spoke softly.

"Yeah.." Onyx gave her a cross look. "Simple enough. Hopefully you won't screw this up."

Kamala tensed up, giving him a sideways look. "Excuse me, pretty boy?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Look, not all of us can be Mr. Perfect like you, shithead." She growled. "Besides, that was years ago. Let it go."

"Mmhm."

"Shut up."

The moon edged it's way across the sky in silence, a blue glow soon shining in through the gap in the ceiling. The whispers from the shadows soon turned to the sound of life as the orbs came in contact with the moonlight. Laughing, crying, screams, and talking soon filled the room as the moon's light slowly filled the room.

Kamala took a step back and stared at the ocean of orbs in amazement.

"Woah..." She mumbled softly to herself. "How are we supposed to find the right ones...?"

"I just explained that to you.." He tossed her the list and locked his fingers together, stretching them outwards and cracking each one of them.

Kamala caught the list, skimming through it quickly. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Now, let's get this started-"

"Wait, this isn't the right list...?"

Onyx glanced over at her, frowning. "What do you mean by that?" He growled out. "Kamala, that's the exact list I received from our masters."  
"I know but.." She reached into the pocket of her suit, pulling out a smaller piece of paper with names messily scrawled down onto it. "Look, this is the list Rose gave to me."

"Oh no." He spoke sternly, glaring at her. "We aren't gathering up a few half pints just for the sake of you fulfilling your 'duties' to some fake goddess you heard in Rose's stories."

"They aren't half pints, Onyx." She hissed out. "They're the next of kin to the councilmen."

"What?" He seemed... shocked. With a frown, he opened his hand up to receive the paper.

She kindly gave it to him, watching as the other read it quickly.

"My..." He murmured. "This still doesn't change our plans...! We've been given specific orders from our masters to enter in these men-"

"Do you want to enter in a few half baked fools, or do you want to meet the children of legends in the flesh?"

He stared at her coldly, huffing softly. "You make a compelling argument."

"I know I do." She smiled wide. "So are you in this or what...?"

"I..." Onyx swallowed hard, thinking over the decision he had to make. If he said no, he wasn't risking termination. If he said yes, he was risking the chance of being terminated for insubordination, especially to this severity. They were both risking termination by doing this. "Fine... B-But..."

Kamala frowned "But what?"

He groaned. "May mother forgive me for what I've done." He stared down at the paper, shakily reciting each of the names listed onto the paper.

Each name elicited the presence of an orb, each shining brightly as they rolled up towards the two and rested themselves amongst their feet. The two picked up three each, quickly carrying them off towards the Stream of the chosen.

"I'm so dead." Onyx muttered his way there. "We're so dead."

"No, once they see their faces they'll be thanking us for the advantage we've given them." She smirked. "Victor children are more powerful than even their parents in this world, after all."

"You might be right.." He sighed as they reached the edge of the stream.

"Of course I'm right, Onyx." She smiled wide, setting the orbs down into the stream. She watched them, carefully, as they sank to the bottom and began to relight the stream. Now all of the dream world would know that their decision was final. The games would begin soon. "I'm always right."

"Half of the time."

* * *

Rosalia stood at the edge of the balcony, staring out into the world below and down at the glowing stream that separated the council's world from the world of games. They had done it. They had done it.

"So, you managed to convince the young Kamala to choose the great six?"

Rose turned quickly to see who was behind her, taking a step back in shock to see who they were.

"My ladies!" She spoke quickly. "You are here!"

"Keep your voice down, dearest Rose." The older figure spoke softly. "We are here in spirit, as we always have been."

"Yes, my ladies." She spoke softly, more quietly now. "It took little time. She caught onto reason quickly."

"I'm sure Onyx did not catch on as quickly." The younger figure sighed in the shadows. "He was never the type to listen to reason. He followed authority blindly."

"He is as any loyal dreamer was programmed to be." Rose gave them a soft look.

"No dreamer is programmed to be that way." The older figure shook her head. "The first dreamer was born to follow her own heart. He..."

"He is a nuance in comparison to the first dreamer." The younger woman placed a hand on the older one's shoulder. "But he is still a dreamer regardless."

"Yes, my love." She spoke. "Still a dreamer."

"My queens," Rose brought their attention back to her. "Forgive me but... You still have not told me why you need these six..."

"Ah yes..." They sighed in unison.

"They are important." The younger one murmured. "The catalyst to our return even! If things play out right... If things go our way..."

"You will return...? Really?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe..."

The two women began to slip back into the shadows, holding each other's hands.

 _"The Midnight Games are about to begin, dearest Rose..."_

 _"Prepare yourself."_


End file.
